https://phys.org/physics-news/optics-photonics en-us The latest news on Optics and Photonics Researchers at the University of Sydney Nano Institute have invented a compact silicon semiconductor chip that integrates electronics with photonic, or light, components. The new technology significantly expands radio-frequency (RF) bandwidth and the ability to accurately control information flowing through the unit. https://phys.org/news/2023-12-photonic-chip-lego-door-semiconductor.html Optics & Photonics Fri, 01 Dec 2023 07:14:49 EST news620637287 Interactions between intense laser pulses and plasma mirrors have been the focus of several recent physics studies due to the interesting effects they produce. Experiments have revealed that these interactions can generate a non-linear physical process known as high-order harmonics, characterized by the emission of extreme ultraviolet radiation (XUV) and brief flashes of laser light (i.e., attosecond pulses). https://phys.org/news/2023-11-anomalous-relativistic-emission-intense-interaction.html Optics & Photonics Plasma Physics Fri, 01 Dec 2023 07:00:01 EST news620560616 Integrated optical signal distributing, processing, and sensing networks require the miniaturization of basic optical elements, such as waveguides, splitters, gratings, and optical switches. To achieve this, fabrication approaches that allow for high-resolution manufacturing are required. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-low-cost-microscope-photolithography-high-resolution-fabrication.html Optics & Photonics Thu, 30 Nov 2023 17:06:03 EST news620586361 Liquid-crystal (LC) phase modulators are widely used in optical systems because of their advantages of low power consumption, lightweight, flexible bandwidth adjustment, and non-mechanical movements. However, most LC phase modulators are polarization-sensitive, meaning that they affect the light phase differently depending on its polarization. This can limit their performance and functionality in some applications. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-approach-polarization-independent-lc-phase-modulation.html General Physics Optics & Photonics Thu, 30 Nov 2023 17:05:02 EST news620586301 Emerging technologies for non-line-of-sight imaging can detect objects even if they are around a corner or behind a wall. In new work, researchers use a new type of detector to extend this method from visible light into near and mid-infrared wavelengths, an advance that could be especially useful for unmanned vehicles, robotic vision, endoscopy, and other applications. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-non-line-of-sight-imaging-longer-wavelengths.html Optics & Photonics Thu, 30 Nov 2023 15:13:17 EST news620579593 Photonic integrated circuits (PICs) are compact devices that combine multiple optical components on a single chip. They have a wide range of applications in communications, ranging, sensing, computing, spectroscopy, and quantum technology. PICs are now manufactured using mature semiconductor fabrication technologies. It has reduced costs and improved performance. This makes PICs a promising technology for a variety of applications. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-two-photon-lithography-photonic-packaging-solution.html Optics & Photonics Thu, 30 Nov 2023 13:56:07 EST news620574965 The practice of keeping time hinges on stable oscillations. In a grandfather clock, the length of a second is marked by a single swing of the pendulum. In a digital watch, the vibrations of a quartz crystal mark much smaller fractions of time. And in atomic clocks, the world's state-of-the-art timekeepers, the oscillations of a laser beam stimulate atoms to vibrate at 9.2 billion times per second. These smallest, most stable divisions of time set the timing for today's satellite communications, GPS systems, and financial markets. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-stable-clocks-quantum-phenomena-presence.html Optics & Photonics Quantum Physics Thu, 30 Nov 2023 09:53:04 EST news620560381 Optical wireless may no longer have any obstacles. A study by Politecnico di Milano, conducted together with Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna in Pisa, the University of Glasgow and Stanford University, and published in Nature Photonics, has made it possible to create photonic chips that mathematically calculate the optimal shape of light to best pass through any environment, even one that is unknown or changing over time. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-photonic-chips-optimal-next-gen-wireless.html Optics & Photonics Wed, 29 Nov 2023 13:21:24 EST news620486481 Researchers at the University of Konstanz have discovered a new type of ultrafast magnetic switching by investigating fluctuations that normally tend to interfere with experiments as noise. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-scientists-ultrafast-magnetic-noise.html Condensed Matter Optics & Photonics Wed, 29 Nov 2023 11:00:42 EST news620478039 Blue light-emitting diodes represent a fundamental element in the contemporary lighting and display technology landscape. Like prevailing technology such as III-V, organics and quantum dot LEDs, developing efficient and stable blue perovskite light-emitting diodes (PeLEDs) is a formidable challenge. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-chloride-ions-stability-blue-perovskite.html Optics & Photonics Wed, 29 Nov 2023 10:10:07 EST news620475001 In research, sometimes the bumpy path proves to be the best one. By creating tiny, periodic bumps in a miniature racetrack for light, researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and their colleagues at the Joint Quantum Institute (JQI), a research partnership between the University of Maryland and NIST, have converted near-infrared (NIR) laser light into specific desired wavelengths of visible light with high accuracy and efficiency. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-scientists-miniaturized-technique-generate-precise.html Optics & Photonics Tue, 28 Nov 2023 16:29:02 EST news620411339 Surface functionalization via micro/nano structuring is not only a thriving research area inspired by bionics but also of great importance for various practical applications. The key to achieving various surface functions is the fabrication of surface micro/nano structures with controlled dimensions, hierarchies, and compositions, which is driving the continuous progress of micro/nano fabrication techniques. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-gaining-fabrication-surface-micronano-ultrafast.html Optics & Photonics Tue, 28 Nov 2023 14:58:02 EST news620405881 Adaptive optics (AO) is a technique used for real-time correction of phase aberrations by employing feedback to adjust the optical system. Polarization aberrations represent another significant type of distortion that can impact optical systems. Various factors, such as stressed optical elements, Fresnel effects, and polarizing effects in materials or biological tissues, can induce polarization aberrations. These aberrations affect both system resolution and the accuracy of vector information. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-vectorial-optics-polarization-phase.html Optics & Photonics Tue, 28 Nov 2023 11:12:03 EST news620392321 Scientists have revealed how lattice vibrations and spins talk to each other in a hybrid excitation known as an electromagnon. To achieve this, they used a unique combination of experiments at the X-ray free electron laser SwissFEL. Understanding this fundamental process at the atomic level opens the door to ultrafast control of magnetism with light. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-secret-life-electromagnon-ultrafast-magnetism.html Condensed Matter Optics & Photonics Tue, 28 Nov 2023 10:49:03 EST news620390941 Particle accelerators hold great potential for semiconductor applications, medical imaging and therapy, and research in materials, energy and medicine. But conventional accelerators require plenty of elbow room—kilometers—making them expensive and limiting their presence to a handful of national labs and universities. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-compact-technology-major-energy-milestone.html Optics & Photonics Plasma Physics Tue, 28 Nov 2023 09:36:43 EST news620386600 Scientists at the Shanghai Advanced Research Institute (SARI) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences have proposed and validated a novel approach for single-shot characterization of ultrashort free-electron laser pulses based on self-referenced spectral interferometry. Their innovative approach, published in Physical Review Letters, offers a promising solution to the challenges of ultrafast scientific experiments. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-scientists-approach-single-shot-characterization-ultrashort.html Optics & Photonics Tue, 28 Nov 2023 08:57:03 EST news620384221 Deep learning has revolutionized the way we perceive and utilize data. However, as datasets grow and computational demands increase, we need more efficient ways to handle, store, and process data. In this regard, optical computing is seen as the next frontier of computing technology. Rather than using electronic signals, optical computing relies on the properties of light waves, such as wavelength and polarization, to store and process data. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-orbital-angular-momentum-encoded-diffractive-networks-classification-tasks.html Optics & Photonics Mon, 27 Nov 2023 14:58:03 EST news620319481 Ultrafast lasers have the advantages of high time resolution, high energy density, broadband spectrum, etc. Ultrafast lasers with high-energy and high peak power have been widely applied in industrial fields and frontier science, such as advanced manufacturing, photomedicine, and ultrafast physics. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-tapered-fiber-potential-candidate-high-energy.html Optics & Photonics Fri, 24 Nov 2023 13:08:03 EST news620053681 A new article published in Opto-Electronic Science reviews the fundamentals and applications of optically trapped optical nanoparticles. Optical nanoparticles are one of the key elements of photonics. They not only allow optical imaging of a plethora of systems (from cells to microelectronics), but also behave as highly sensitive remote sensors. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-optical-nanoparticles-fundamentals-applications.html Optics & Photonics Fri, 24 Nov 2023 12:08:21 EST news620050099 For the first time, researchers have succeeded in selectively exciting a molecule using a combination of two extreme-ultraviolet light sources and causing the molecule to dissociate while tracking it over time. This is another step towards specific quantum mechanical control of chemical reactions, which could enable new, previously unknown reaction channels. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-combining-extreme-ultraviolet-sources-quantum-mechanical.html Optics & Photonics Quantum Physics Wed, 22 Nov 2023 15:53:03 EST news619890781 In laser-based manufacturing, accommodating non-flat, or changing surfaces has traditionally been labor-intensive, involving complex focus mapping procedures and or ex-situ characterization. This often results in repositioning errors and extended processing times. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-dynamic-z-scanning-ultrafast-auto-focusing-laser.html Optics & Photonics Wed, 22 Nov 2023 15:12:26 EST news619888344 Teams at the U.S. Department of Energy's SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory recently celebrated the completion of a major upgrade to the world's first hard X-ray free-electron laser (XFEL), the Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS) at the US Department of Energy's SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-instruments-advantage-slac-x-ray-laser.html General Physics Optics & Photonics Tue, 21 Nov 2023 14:31:22 EST news619799479 Acoustic beam shaping with high degrees of freedom is critical for ultrasound imaging, acoustic regulation, and stimulation. The ability to fully regulate the acoustic pressure profile relative to its propagation path remains to be achieved. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-acoustic-diffraction-resistant-profile-technology-elasticity.html Optics & Photonics Tue, 21 Nov 2023 10:00:01 EST news619782712 Processing quantum information relies on interacting qubits—the basic building blocks of quantum information—to perform computational tasks. Scientists are searching for the optimal qubit platform that can perform operations more efficiently, accurately and as fast as possible. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-ions-nano-sized-particles-platform-quantum.html Optics & Photonics Quantum Physics Tue, 21 Nov 2023 09:56:49 EST news619783006 Researchers at the University of Warsaw's Faculty of Physics have superposed two light beams twisted in the clockwise direction to create anti-clockwise twists in the dark regions of the resultant superposition. The results of the research have been published in Optica. This discovery has implications for the study of light-matter interactions and represents a step towards the observation of a peculiar phenomenon known as a quantum backflow. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-boomerang-like-quantum-backflow-dimensions.html Optics & Photonics Quantum Physics Mon, 20 Nov 2023 12:44:21 EST news619706658 Optical scientists have found a new way to significantly increase the power of fiber lasers while maintaining their beam quality, making them a future key defense technology against low-cost drones and for use in other applications such as remote sensing. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-high-power-fiber-lasers-emerge-technology.html Optics & Photonics Mon, 20 Nov 2023 10:11:03 EST news619697461 Open-shell singlet (OS) diradicals are important building blocks for functional molecular materials, with a large number of pioneering works by researchers advancing their development and applications across various fields. Despite this progress, there remains a lack of research regarding luminescent OS diradicals, hindering their potential use in optoelectronic applications. In fact, the luminescent diradicals are rare chemical species, there are only a few reports to date. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-highly-efficient-open-shell-singlet-luminescent.html Optics & Photonics Fri, 17 Nov 2023 11:10:01 EST news619441414 A novel measurement technique has been developed to visualize the fluid flow and distribution within two droplets levitated and coalesced in space using fluorescence-emitting particles. This technique enabled the estimation of fluid motion within each droplet, thereby revealing the internal flow caused by surface vibration when the droplet merging promotes fluid mixing. Details have been published in Scientific Reports. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-technique-fluid-mixing-phenomena-imaging-method.html Optics & Photonics Soft Matter Thu, 16 Nov 2023 10:32:19 EST news619353137 Metamaterials are products of engineering wizardry. They are made from everyday polymers, ceramics, and metals. And when constructed precisely at the microscale, in intricate architectures, these ordinary materials can take on extraordinary properties. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-technique-acoustic-lenses-impact-resistant-futuristic.html Condensed Matter Optics & Photonics Wed, 15 Nov 2023 11:00:01 EST news619263421 A new method of creating laser pulses, more than 1,000 times as powerful as those currently in existence, has been proposed by scientists in the UK and South Korea. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-laser-pulse-compression-density-gradient.html Optics & Photonics Tue, 14 Nov 2023 09:57:03 EST news619178221